Although the city is increasing in size, it is still customary for new residents to introduce themselves to their neighbours, and to join the town association (chounai-kai). There is a small fee, and it will differ from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. One thing to be aware of is the "kairanban" - a bulletin that is circulated informing people of upcoming events such as gutter cleaning, health examinations, security issues and so forth. If and when you receive one, don't throw it away or hang on to it. Have a read and then pass it on to your neighbour. If you can't read Japanese well enough, ask a friend or your neighbour.

Noise in Residential Areas

Although the population density here is less than many comparable cities in Japan, the houses are close to each other (and many apartments have thin walls). Residents tend to have different lifestyles, some work days while others work nights, some have children etc. Particularly at night, it is important to keep noise to a minimum, which is one of the reasons why if you want to have a party its sometimes best to hold it in a bar or other location. Little things make a difference, such as not leaving your car idling, holding last minute goodbye conversations inside with the door closed instead of outside in the carpark etc. The volume of your voice may also need to be lower than what you are used to at home.

Public Baths

If you visit a public bath please note that the custom is to first wash yourself thoroughly. Japanese bathrooms are made up of a bath and a washing area. First, wash yourself thoroughly in the washing area, and then after rinsing thoroughly, get into the bathtub. A bath in Japan is for soaking and warming up the body, not for washing. As the entire family uses the same bath water, make sure to keep the water as clean as possible for the next person, and do not drain the tub until after everyone is finished bathing.

There are nearly 25,000 Post Offices (Yuubinkyoku) in Japan, and Okazaki has oodles of them. Besides providing a variety of safe, secure and speedy postal services, Post Offices also offer savings deposits, remittance services (by money order and transfer), foreign currency and traveler's check services. You can also pay your utility bills (gas, water, power and some others - telephone etc.), though a convenience store is often quicker.

Size and Weight Restrictions

Letter-Post

Classification

Weight

Dimensions

Maximum

Minimum

Postcards

--

a+b+c=90 cm
(a) up to 60 cm

a+2b=104 cm
(a) up to 90 cm

a+2b=17 cm (a) over 10 cm

Letters

Up to 2 kg

Printed matter

Up to 5 kg (Note 1)
Up to 30 kg (M-bags)

Literature for the blind

Up to 7 kg

Small packets

Up to 2 kg

Note 1:Up to 2 kg for printed matter addressed to Canada, and printed
matter (other than books) addressed to Ireland.

EMS and Parcel Post

Classification

Weight

Maximum size

--

Minimum size

EMS

Up to 30 kg(Note 1)

A a+b+c+d+e=3m
(a) up to 1.5m
B a+b+c+d+e=2m
(a) up to 1.05m
Size A or B applies according to the destination.(Note 2)

Minimum size is
the same as that
for letter-post items.

UPU parcel post

Up to 20 kg(Note 1)

Special
parcels

To Philippines

Up to 20 kg

a+b+c+d+e=2m
(a) up to 1.05m

To South Africa

Up to 10 kg

a+b+c+d+e=1.8m
(a) up to 1.05m

Postal Rate

See below for Airmail, Surface Mail, Parcel Post and Economy Air rates.

Note 1: Not available to some destinations.
Note 2: Limited to insured parcels to some destinations.

Courier Services, Moving/Leaving

If you move into Okazaki, remember to go to City Hall for Alien
Registration. You will need to contact the Utilities companies about
7-10 days before you leave. The telephone numbers are:

Electricity: Chubu Electric Co. (Chubu Denryoku) 51-5911

Gas: Okazaki Gas (Okazaki Gasu) 21-2231

Water: Okazaki City Water Works (Okazaki-shi Suidokyoku) 23-6350

You will need to give them your new address, or if you are leaving
Japan, a person to pay the remaining bills.

Telephone - If you are moving to somewhere else in Japan, call
116.

Postal Mail - Go to a post office and complete a change-of-address
form. If you do this, then any mail sent to your old address will be
forwarded to the new address for up to one year.

Electricity

Household current is AC100V on 60Hz. The required plugs are flat two-pin, usually with no earth. For appliances using 3 pin plugs, you will need an adaptor (usually available in the larger electronics stores. For transformers, as of 2004 you usually needed to head to the extensive Osu electronics district near Osu Kannon temple in Nagoya (take a train to JR Nagoya/600 Yen or to Meitetsu Shin-Nagoya/650 Yen and transfer to the subway to Osu/200 Yen). If you have an interest in computers or electronics, a day trip to Osu is usually fun.

Light bulbs are the screw type. Battery sizes A, AA, AAA, are common and sold in virtually any convenience stores. Rechargeable batteries (and their chargers) are also often easily obtainable from the convenience stores also. For certain types of camera battery, you may need to go to specialist camera stores.

Coin Laundries

Many Japanese people do not have clothes dryers, or do not have dryers large enough for blankets and other large items. As a result you should be able to find a coin laundry fairly easily. Costs will range from 300 to 800 yen per load depending on the size of the machine. Drying will usually cost 100 Yen per 7-15 minutes, again depending on the size of the machine. As a general rule, the machines are well maintained. Most coin laundries also have coin changing machines (also well maintained) so that you can change 1000 Yen notes into coin. The etiquette is pretty simple, do not leave your laundry in the washing machine or dryer when the washing/drying cycle is completed.

For when you are out and about, there are trash cans located in most parks,
near bus stops etc. Please don't litter - the locals leave more than enough
litter lying around already. Increasingly the easiest way to find somewhere
to dispose of trash is to look for the ubiquitous convenience stores. On the
front of the trash cans will be a label explaining exactly what kind of trash
the can is for (PET bottles, cans, glass, burnable trash etc), please separate
your trash accordingly. If you are a smoker, carry one of the "portable ashtrays"
sold in most convenience stores etc.
For household trash the system is quite complicated. Okazaki has an extensive
recycling program and just about every conceivable item of trash is covered
by a fairly pervasive system. The city already had a flourishing textile recycling
industry and most of the manufacturers also have extremely high recycling/recovery
methods, so it wasn't surprising when the new laws went into effect in 2002.
If you are going to be living in Okazaki for a month or longer, head down
to City Hall and pick up a copy of the
"Official Guide" - it's in English with helpful illustrations. Without the
guide its practically impossible to avoid problems (there will be people checking
your trash bags to ensure that you are keeping up with the spirit of things)
You need to use the designated trash bags (purchasable from any supermarket
and most convenience stores), and know where your closest kerbside recycling
point is (ask your local Chonai-kai - the town association for the part of
Okazaki you live in), or your neighbors for details.

Public Toilets

Are usually easy enough to find. Most parks and public buildings have them clearly marked, as do large stores. Depending on how old the facility is, most facilities contain both the Japanese style (squat) "hole in the floor" toilet, as well as the western style (sit) toilets. In terms of cleanliness, as a general rule they are pretty clean, particularly those in major shopping centers. There is nothing worse than discovering an absence of toilet paper, so it is worth carrying a packet (or more) of tissues.

Earthquake Awareness

Like everywhere else in the country, Okazaki is a place where people go crazy over cherry blossoms but earth tremors are ignored. While a tremor won't occasion much comment, most people have through experience, earthquake and fire drills at schools and companies a high level of awareness. The basic things: Identification: Keep your passport handy, (and in a different location, a photocopy of the relevant pages including Japan visa etc)Emergency supplies:
Keep a small amount of cash, dry food, bottle of water, flashlight etc in your room/apartmentEvacuation: Ask where your local evacuation point is (its usually a school yard, but confirm it)
If and when an earthquake happens, turn off the gas if you are cooking.

Business Hours

In the retail sector, shops and stores in Okazaki have traditionally opened at 10am and closed around 6.30 for 7.30pm. The exception has been the morning street markets, which open very early to sell fresh produce such as fish, vegetables and fruit at the street stalls. The better known street markets are Funa-ichi (in Kosei-cho) and Go-ju-ichi (in Myodaiji-cho) and Shi-ku-ichi
(in the street adjacent to the Yamasa Institute's Aoi Hall).

What has turned this orderly system on its head in recent years is the extended trading hours of the larger shopping centers. Whereas most of the shops in Kosei-cho (the older part of town) still close by 7 (including the department stores and including on Saturdays), the shops in the massive AEON shopping complex (includes Seibu and Jusco Department stores, and hundred of specialty shops) are at a minimum open until 8pm, in many cases until 10pm, and in the case of the supermarket, until midnight (in 2004). The large shopping centers also do not need (and cannot afford) to take a rostered day off - which many of the small family run shops elsewhere in the city still schedule. The result has been that a lot of business in increasingly moving to the south-central area of the city (Maps B and C), particular along route 248 between the Police Station and the Seiyu Department store where it is easier to shop using a car than in Kosei-cho. As the General Post Office (open until midnight) has also moved in recent years from Kosei-cho to this area), the city's commercial center has generally been shifting south. The complete redevelopment of the JR Okazaki station area will probably further extend this trend towards car use and extended trading hours.

Places of worship

There is of course no shortage of Buddhist temples of the various Japanese sects and Shinto shrines. If you have just arrived in Okazaki, you may have noticed a larger number of grand looking churches, chapels that until you take a second glance resemble something out of an Italian rennaissance scene, and across the road (in 2004) from the massive AEON shopping complex, a Basilica. As a general rule of thumb, these are not churches, but buildings used by the corporations catering for the lucrative wedding business. As a general rule (with the exception of some brilliantly decorated shrines) the actual places of worship tend to be more low key.